SPARK

Jennifer Fendya
“Sheep Go to Heaven” (2010)
Inspiration piece

Jenny Forrester
Response

I live in heaven with multi-verse gods, ghosts and aging cats, sitting in a tree house, watching bright yellow and orange-headed, black and white-flecked wings, brown-backs, blue bodies, the songs. You should hear them.

Four teen boys want this table where I’m sitting, eating salad and pizza with jalapenos and roasted red pepper, basil, by the spring run-off river, root beer-colored and foaming, waves, bubbles and splashing back on itself the way of the river of time.

They’ve got a game going, “Dear God…” and they laugh and “Dear God…” outdoing each other. “Dear God…” mumbles. Cowards, I think, and remember my own versions, all those arguments. Constant arguments with everyone always, everywhere keeping up with the Joneses and the many-pronged purists, wildfires and demon red-black sky. A woman said I was brilliant but had as far to go to being compassionate as a hawk has to fly to the moon.

It’s a whisper breeze now, though. Roaring rivered and children running in grass.

God’s ear above the trees is bluebird. I take a photo of the swirls and depth, his smile is a cumulous, his hair unfurling, he’s got crows in the aspen of his locks. I put my headsets in. Their Dear God’s get louder, but when they start throwing rocks at the small ducks nearby, I look up and scare them away with my eyes. Didn’t even use the rest of my face, my pupils were enough. I have all power in heaven and no fear of any raping man or calling-out women, stripped-down sisterhoods, fuck you-pay me’s and no saying thank you, but lots of you’re welcome much less any fear from skinny, little man-boys. I’m not afraid of anyone anymore, anywhere.

All I am now is glacial melt, juniper, curry from the nearby restaurant, hawk screech and magpie chi chi chi chi chi chi, sandstone warming, hummingbird incoming chopper whirrings, stone. My fingers grow feathers. Free.

________________________________
Note: All of the art, writing, and music on this site belongs to the person who created it. Copying or republishing anything you see here without express and written permission from the author or artist is strictly prohibited.